Cyprus, trying it all in a single blog!

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Yes, this is my first visit to Cyprus....discovering the most I can in a truly packed 48 hours...even drinking some local wine!



You will not see me lying on any of those beaches....I'm sure they have better one than those I saw, but what I witness here is truly not for me. No luxury hotel here for me, just decent one, as I'm waking up early, go to sleep late, and pack a lot in the middle.



I picked my rental car at midnight from Avis. For once over the last few weeks, this car doesn't look like a wreck. My first stop, the little city of Larnaca...interesting place to drive in, most roads are one way, and finding my hotel in the Old Town in the middle of the night is an interesting game! Once in bed...well...it will be a short night, I'm diving tomorrow!



Diving in Cyprus...as you will read if you do your homework, the fishes are not in massive quantities around these waters, so I figure out diving the huge Zenobia was the best option. This morning, there is maybe 100 divers on the wreck. But as this wreck is so huge, it's not really an option. The top of the wreck is standing at around 20 meters, the bottom on the sand at 40 meters. You are sadly surrounded mainly with pretty inexperienced divers, even holding "Advanced qualifications". I'm diving with Viking Divers and I'm lucky today...the two dive masters do know what they are doing! Cool Italian and South African DMs....welcome to international Cyprus!



Five minutes in the dive, the DM point a turtle down there....he keeps the two other divers with him while I go to say hello. Visibility is great....there is just my dive computer which is not happy! By minutes 30, the two divers are low on air, so I jump to the next dive master....who entered the water 10 minutes later....I love this kind of diving!



Next dive, we play the same game...till my Suunto is giving me 20 minutes deco....guess I'd rather go on to my safety stop on my own, for a while! Well, with the crowds around the line, you never feel lonely on the Zenobia! I loved these two dives!



After the dive, and a short night, I'm driving North to Nicosia. I was not going to visit Cyprus and not visit the Green Line. This is the official separation between the independent part of Cyprus, close friends to Greece....and the Northern Turkish side. Crossing is a breeze with a passport...and you move from the Orthodox world to the Muslim one! I have to admit, the Turkish side is way more beautiful from a tourist point of view. At least compare to the main walking street of Nicosia on the other side.



My day was not over, I had still to drive to my hotel in Limassol. The place is full with Russians....again...and I'm ready for an early night after having sampled some local wine. next morning, I'm driving to the main site of Cyprus, the antiques of Kourion....few kilometers West of Limassol. Few tourists here...and you can hear French everywhere...interesting! Kourion is simply beautiful...and I could stay here for hours...



So after the old stones, I'm driving west to the top golf course of Cyprus, I name Aphrodites Hills. I have the place for myself....and what a place. I truly wonder how much water they are going through everyday to keep this place in such a condition. This golf course is simply amazing...and empty! I was not sure I could finished before sunset prior to my arrival at the Club House, but this won't be an issue. So it even gave me time afterwards to drive to Paphos for dinner. I don't think I've seen th right part of it, because what I saw, was just another tourist trap...but I have to admit, this was done on the rush.



And yes, as fast as I arrived, it was already time to drive in the night to Larnaca International Airport for my 1am flight to the East...just another short night ahead of me, for another experience the next day, one that I will not forget!

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